Koraku Ramen

Yum!

Ever have ramen that’s just… there?
That was my ramen experience at Koraku. It was just… there. The noodles were uninspired and bland, the broth was overly salty and had a super-​processed taste to it. Pork was dry, toppings tasted warmed over.
Wouldn’t come back.

Very good japanese cuisine. It reminds me of japan. affordable food, friendly server. Thank god they have one here in town. i dont understand about the negative reviews, you guys should try it so you know its not true. Haters will be haters.

Great Miso Ramen! Did I mention it’s 50% off??? Awesome deal! Don’t forget to add ½ Fried Rice or ½ Beef Curry Rice!

First things first: DON’T EAT RAMEN HERE. There are so many great ramen shops nearby, and this place can’t really compete with them.
However, Koraku deserves solid four stars for their own unique offerings — Japanese-​style Chinese dishes, from Tenshin-​don to mabo-​don to Salisbury steak. Those things remind me of days back in Japan.

I went for lunch on a Sunday afternoon. They were located on W Spring Mountain Rd/​S Valley View Blvd in Las Vegas Chinatown. They have been open since April. There are 2 other locations in Southern California.
I ordered the Wonton Ramen ($ 7.45) which was served in chicken and pork broth. There were 5 small bland wonton. The ramen noodles were a little chewy, just the way I like it. It was topped with spinach, bamboo shoots and green onions. I added some chashu for a $ 1.50 for 3 slices. The broth was flavorless. The server brought a small bottle of Nanami Togarashi Chili Pepper, but it still didn’t help.
I probably won’t be back.

I can’t believe the reviews out there about this place. I have been here twice now and both times I have not been impressed. I ordered the shoyu ramen the first time and was very disappointed with the broth. It was flavourless and not at all what I expected since the reviews about this place was so good. So I chalked it up to me not ordering the right thing and the cook having a bad day. I gave this place one more try, this time I had miso ramen and it was equally as disappointing with just a hint of miso in it. Needless to say I won’t be coming back here anymore. The service was okay, but both times I came it was not busy inside. The location is kind of hard to find as its’ restaurant is tucked away behind other business buildings. 1 star

I’ve never actually had bad ramen before, but the ramen here was pretty bad. This was the first place I’ve been to where the broth was not some sort of pork broth. Instead, it was basically just water with spicy flavoring in it. Super bland.
The prices are cheap compared to the average ramen place, but I guess there’s a reason why it’s so cheap here.

Went here with my sister the other day and was a tad bit disappointed. We just decided to stop by because we were going to go to Kuma Snow (located next door) and we wanted to try the ramen and see how it fared against the competition. The inside of the restaurant was just a little bit more spacious than Monta ramen (2 tables, 4 boothes and a bar) and they had a lot more items on their menu. There were more variations of ramen here and a cuople more appetizers to choose from which was cool to see. My sister got the Shouyo ramen and ½ fried rice combo and I got the Hot Volcano ramen (w/​corn, butter and tamago). The ramen looked quite nice but it just tasted okay. Now I’m not saying that my ramen was bad by any means but it was just simply alright. I know the volcano ramen said that it had veggies in it but half of my bowl was veggies (intead of noodles). The broth was alright. It tasted a bit like a spicy shouyo broth. The noodles weren’t bad either, I felt that they were kind of short but otherwise they tasted okay. The service was fast and the waitress was very nice and informative.
But will I be returning any time soon? No. To be honest there is nothing about this place that makes me want to choose it over Sora ramen or Monta ramen (both establishments just a couple of blocks up the street from this one). They are going to have to step up their game just a bit because I’m sure that every other person that comes here will compare them to the other great ramen places in town.

Another Ramen house in Vegas and I’m sorry to say, I wasn’t too impressed with the ramen. I didn’t have ramen as my main meal, but tried some of Terri R’s. Maybe I don’t know what a good bowl of ramen is. Maybe I’m just too loyal to Sora and Monta. But one thing that disappointed me about Koraku’s ramen is that it was lacking that silky and creamy taste. Actually, it was lacking flavor all together. This is just my opinion. Other people may like ramen with almost no taste. But all wasn’t lost on my visit here. My main meal was their Ground Beef Steak and a side of their Mini Menchi Katsu. I felt both were pretty good.
Ground Beef Steak: This was served with Hayashi sauce. This was pretty much a Loco Moco minus the eggs, but you can get eggs with this. The sauce was made the way it’s suppose to be (i.e. thick, somewhat tangy, and all over the place). I’m not huge fan of this and end up brushing a lot of the sauce to the side. Other than that, I thought my meal was filling and flavorful. This had more of a Salisbury steak taste to it than a ground beef taste, in my opinion.
Mini Menchi Katsu: This was basically two mini hamburger patties that’s breaded and deep fried. Think of the texture and initial taste of a chicken katsu, but with a ground beef taste to. Wasn’t bad at all, just bad for you.
The restaurant wasn’t too busy and the service was great. We had a lot of food, but again, I wasn’t too impressed with their ramen. But I could still see myself coming back for the other food on their menu.

Finally got around to Koraku! It is a new Ramen house on Spring Mtn of course! So how does it fair?
I thought all the ingredients were fresh and tasty, but the chashu was more thick and less tender than most. The broth was a little mellow, not full of flavor and depth, but still good. I would recommend trying it, since every place in town does it a little different… the reasons I wasn’t blown away, might be the reason you like it. Pic :
I also tried the Shrimp Tempura, which was good! Large shrimps, flavorful batter… overall yummy. Pic :
And a quick pic of the Miso Soup that was included with the rice dish. Pic :
Service was fast and friendly… restaurant was a little quiet but clean. Bathroom was probably one of the cleanest I have walked into for a while lol… and the incense was a nice touch.
Overall I was happy to try it! Just not sure when I will be back truthfully.

Really wanted to like this place but I probably won’t be back.
I came here with a group of friends for lunch and the place had a couple of other customers. I think they were Japanese so maybe that’s a sign that this place is authentic? Looking through the menu, the beef curry caught my eye and I got that. The curry flavor was very bold however after I left the restaurant, I was very thirsty so maybe a little too much salt? I also got the chance to taste my friends’ ramen broths and I was not impressed. The flavors were a little bland and definitely lacked depth. I also wished they offer tonkotsu ramen since that’s my favorite. I might’ve ordered the wrong stuff but it seems like the ramen and the curry are the main dishes here. If you want ramen there are more choices just down the street.

I’m not sure how people could enjoy food that gets you, your loved ones & friends sick. Worst food experience of my life~!
Our friends ate here, and told us it was horrible. My boyfriend wanted to try, so what the heck, let’s not be biased & try it out right? Well, I am greatly regretting it.
We ordered korokke to start, which tasted like they just took flour, cooked it, and then served it to us. Worst korokke in my life, which I’m sad about because I love korokke. :(
Next, my boyfriend ordered the Miso Ramen, while I ordered Shoyu Ramen. His Miso Ramen smelled funny, and I thought maybe it’s okay, taste it first. So, he tried it, said it tasted sour & weird, then I tried it afterward. He was correct, it tasted nothing like Miso Ramen, it tasted as weird as it smelled. My boyfriend and I hate to complain at restaurants, but his food was not even edible, so we let them know & he had it switched to Shoyu. When his Shoyu came, he tried it & told me his soup spoon smelled funny. He handed it to me & I knew the smell, being a former server at another restaurant. It reeked of bleach, not the amount that you should use for sanitizing, greater than that. As if they poured an entire cup of bleach & just gave it to us. I gave my boyfriend my soup spoon instead, since I didn’t really need it.
My Shoyu Ramen, on the other hand, tasted OK. There was something about it that tasted weird, but I couldn’t figure it out. Not the best Shoyu, and it’s usually my favorite. The noodles were aldente on the inside, but gooey/​slimy on the outside. From two to three bites, I got really sick for some reason. So I stopped eating, took it to-​go, then tossed it when I got home. :/​
My boyfriend also got really sick, so our friends were right about this place. I don’t want anyone else getting sick; one of my friends wants to try it as well, even after our warning. Something has to be done, either figure out what you’re doing wrong & fix it, or just close the place down.

Yet another Ramen spot added too the ever growing list of ones here in Vegas! Not that I could ever complain because I do love good bowl of ramen. =) I decided too try the newest spot the other day for lunch. One of the first things I notice walked it really liked the décor with all the dark black color wood, and the bar area that perfect for single guest. Unlike most of the other Ramen spots around town feel like this one might be the biggest one. It tucked in the corner behind Starbucks off of valley view and spring mountain. So chance you might miss this little gem driving around. Just look for Starbucks.
The food was surprised that not only serve ramen besides normal sides of gyoza and so forth. They also serve fried noodle dishes, different kinds of japanese curries, and just nice diversity too the menu. I love that fact! Plus they offer combo just in case thinking ramen and curry. This occasion feeling more in curry mood so got the beef curry with side order six pieces too order gyoza. I like the presentation really simple scoop of rice with the beef curry also little pickled daikon on the side. The curry not many places that I found serve it Hawaii style or japanese based curry. Kaba Curry my go too place for curry action. Korakiu just might have taking over the title for best curry action in Vegas. The only thing felt was missing was more vegetables in the curry or come think of it just beef in it. I enjoy the flavor of the curry could have it with any of the proteins they have too offer and loving life. The gyoza was perfect too! I enjoyed the filling and on point.
The pricing is very reasonable like most Ramen places around town. Not sure long the wait can be when its busy. If line too long the beauty of this location is have so many more options up the road. The server was nice, friendly, and did wonderful job. I not tried the Ramen but trust me I willllll. The greatest thing about Koraku Ramen is fact can get too of my fixes same spot Ramen and Curry! Nom! Nom!

With all of the new (and old) great ramen places in town, would this one hold up to the rest? Unfortunately for me and my friends, that answer is a big fat «meh». Koraku is mediocrity at its finest.
I ordered the spicy house ramen with extra chashu for $ 12.95. The broth was what I tasted first. It was a bland chicken based broth of some sort with a bit of spice added to it. The good thing about this ramen was that it was packed full of stuff like little pieces of pork, bok choy, a few pieces of squid, a couple small shrimp, etc. Overall the ramen wasn’t offensive in any way, but it also was pretty much average tasting. Not a lot of flavor or complexity in this stuff. I would say to stay away from the squid as it was rather rubbery. The chashu was also not worth paying extra for as it was dry and plain tasting.
Overall I am not sure how this place is going to fare against the two really good ramen places in this area. It is even a little more expensive than those better places, and the service was considerably slower. I definitely won’t be returning when those other guys are right down the street. Seeing as this is an existing chain, I can’t see the food changing any time. It is what it is.

The tofu appetizer was pretty plain but still delicious if not for the fact that it’s tofu that you can dress up with cucumber and various little toppings like green onion. Tofu from the pack is not that cheap either so this appetizer (which I believe is half a pack) was quite worth the price.
If I had been the one to order the Volcano Ramen, I would probably give Koraku a ³⁄₅. The haphazardly thrown in vegetables just seemed so unappealing. I guess I had gotten used to eating ramen that only had the basics like nori and chashu. However, my best friend in middle school was Japanese and her mom would make ramen with the same haphazardly thrown in vegetables so that was a nostalgic twist.
It wasn’t the vegetables that did me in, though. It was the broth. The spicy level of the Volcano Ramen was okay but it was just the type of spice that weirded me out. It tasted like it didn’t belong in ramen but would rather be in some type of curry dish.
Why ⁴⁄₅ stars then? The miso ramen! Whenever I try a new ramen place I always go with miso the first time I’m there. Now, I am a die-​hard Monta fan but I think Koraku’s miso ramen suits my taste just as well. It might not be as decadent and rich as Monta’s but that is also where it shines. The chashu isn’t as fatty but it still maintains its richness and texture. The broth was very yummy and not too heavy and the noodles were cooked just how a like it (okay maybe a tad too soft, but I always preferred firm noodles anyway).
Our waiter seemed somewhat shy or reluctant to be serving us though, as if he was forced into this job. Maybe he’s just new?
On another note, the ice water here tasted really good and not like cheap tap. +1 for you, Koraku. I’d definitely come again for the miso.

(S)o many ramen joints are popping up in town, this is the newest one
(O)riginally, they were in PRIMM… Who Knew? Seriously?
®eally great service from start to finish
(A)pparently they will be serving desserts in the future… Koraku is still getting settled into their new location (They’ve only been open a little over 2 weeks)
(S)hoyu Ramen was good, but not my favorite
(T)etsuro and Godzilla gave Koraku 5 stars, I didn’t
(I) rated Koraku three and a half stars… I think that’s fair enough
(L)ove the Ramen/​Curry Combos they have for undecided peeps like me…:)
(L)oved the Gyoza appetizer… great start to our meal, crisp outside, flavorful inside
(H)ot Chili Oil mixed with shoyu and vinegar is perfect for your Gyoza
(A)lways undecided when I have to choose between Ramen or Rice???
(S)eafood Ramen was kinda bland, and the squid was rubbery…:(
(M)y Beef Curry was good, but I still prefer the Z spot for J-​Curry…
(Y)ou shouldn’t come here on a Tuesday… WHY? They’re closed, that’s why!
(V)ery good hot tea served here too…$ 1 a cup, free refills
(O)thers may not agree with my rating… ask me if I care???
(T)exture of the ramen noodles had a nice chewiness to it
(E)veryone has their opinion about their experience, don’t let mine decide if you wanna go here or not…
(!)!!ALOHA!!!
Unilocal 100 CHALLENGE 2013−(89÷100) «Ramen, Or Rice??? Ummm… BOTH!»

3 stars because they just dont have many options for me. Zero vegetarian options for ramen, and only a couple of pescetarian options. I got the veggie fried rice. It was Ok, I’ve definitely had better. The place itself is neat and clean. The service was very good. My friends ordered some dishes that were supposed to include shrimp and one dish didn’t have it AT ALL and the other dish had ONE tiny shrimp. Very disappointing. When she asked the waiter if the dish was supposed to have shrimp he said yes and didn’t offer any explanation as to why there was ONE!
I will say the ramen dishes they had looked great!
Unfortunately, this is not a place I will come back to as the one dish I can eat, wasn’t great.

Really delicious ramen.
A++ on the soup base.
I had the miso ramen and had them make it spicy.
Noodles were on par.
Cha shu was really good too. (Apparently homemade)
I also ordered the curry over rice.
That was also very good. Nothing bad to say only good!
kEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!
I will be back soon

Without Godzilla’s review, I would totally not even known about this new restaurant called Koraku Ramen. As I am not Japanese, not a subscriber to their phone tree or otherwise connected to the local Japanese social network scene. So Hoodie, aka Godzilla X, thanks for bringing this new Japanese eatery to the attention of Unilocal users.
Koraku Ramen, is a small chain restaurant from California (Little Tokyo and Sherman Oaks) that finally relocated their other Nevada location to Las Vegas. So for those of you who have visited their other locations, you guys will probably be very familiar with their menu. As for me, this is most likely the very first time I have ever been to one of their restaurants. The LV branch is located in the same plaza as Krung Siam, Phở Little Saigon, Quiznos and Starbucks Coffee, on the SE corner of Spring Mountain and Valley View. Currently there is no signage indicating the name (or it was not put out on my first visit on Tuesday around 6pm) and unless you happened to read a little Japanese and can kinda sorta maybe translate the little «We’re Open» sign near their front door, it will be hard to guess what kind of food they might serve.
The restaurant interior is pretty simply decorated, with a giant poster of an classic Japanese movie hanging above what looks like the exterior seating area of a ramen-​ya in Japan. There are additional smaller, classic Japanese movie posters on the wall, but you will have to tilt your head back to see them. Which is cool, because I enjoy watching old Japanese movies, and it kind of reminded me of the décor of the ramen museum (Yokohama, Japan) I visited with a a group of friends a few years back.
Seats in the booth are surprisingly comfortable, thanks to the cushy cushions for our tushies. It is the next best thing for our arse, than a pricier Derrière Facial. Such thoughtfulness is very much appreciated.
The menu features entrees served with rice (such as various curries, katsu, sweet & sour pork meatballs), fried rice and noodles, and ¹⁄₃ of the menu dedicated to their diverse line up of ramen.
Here are my impressions of the food I tried on my two visits (dinner and lunch):
Shoyu Ramen: Broth was mild but flavorful, not overly salty compared to most local ramen restaurants. Chasu is nice, but could be even more tender and flavorful. Suggested add-​ons: Wakame, 3 slices of Chasu, and Ajitsuke Tamago (Japanese flavored soft boiled egg). (3.5÷5)
Pork Fried Rice: Simply prepared. Tasty. (3.5÷5)
Gyoza: Nothing extraordinary, but prepared well. Has nice crispy base, and is a good appetizer. Server recommended that we eat it with the spicy oil (Ra-​Yu). (3.5÷5)
Beef Curry on Rice: Decent. (³⁄₅)
Spicy House Special Ramen (mild): Pretty good portion. A lot of ingredients, even without any add-​ons. Leosdianto L. commented that it kind of reminded him of ramen we make at home, and I agree. (3.5÷5)
Nikudango (Sweet & Sour Pork Meatballs): The sauce seems to be on the salty side, but I didn’t try this with rice. Reminded me of meatballs on a skewer, without the pineapple and the stick. (³⁄₅)
Service (early dinner): We were the only there, so service was excellent. The evening crew seems to be staff by mostly Japanese mothers. They were very friendly, attentive, and food came out of the kitchen fairly quickly. (4.5÷5)
Service during the lunch rush (customers were overwhelmingly Japanese ex-​pats, including local business owners and social gathering of house wives. When I closed my eyesand listen to their conversation, which I can’t understand at all, it almost felt like I am in Japan without the cost of flight and hours on the plane) was friendly and attentive, but took the kitchen noticeably longer to serve up two bowls of ramen. (2.5÷5)
Obviously the restaurant is very new, so it is super clean, and I expect that it will be maintained that way.
Parking. Not all that much (maybe 85) parking spaces in this tiny strip mall when it gets really busy. And there are no street parking in the immediate surrounding, being on the corner of two high traffic streets. Big city dwellers will be used to that, for the rest be patient or walk a block or two. (³⁄₅)
Final thoughts. Koraku, once it has been opened for awhile and worked out most of the new restaurant kinks, it will be a respectable competition to other local Japanese restaurants that primarily serve ramen and curry. Ramen combo deals (ramen + ½ order of fried rice or curry rice) is a good value for the Hungry-​Man ® and Hungry-​Woman (patent registration pending).
P. S. It was great running into Mike C. and James I on my first visit. Thanks for inviting me to join your party. You guys are cool!
P. P. S. Now accepting cash, credit and debit, gold and silver coins, and I.O.U.s from your pals.
3.5 stars.